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XVILLIAM AUGUSTUS XVARNER, OF SYRACUSE, NE? YORK.

PLATED WARE.

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fii-IQGIFIGATEON forming part of Letters Patent. No. 309,013, dated December 9, 1884.

I Application filed February 15, 1884. (No model.)

To all, whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM: A. WARNER, of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Plated Ware, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description.

This invention, while applicable to various goods and articles plated with any of the precious metals, is more especially intended for use in connection with what is known as flat ware, uhichincludes spoons, forks, and other like articles. Ordinarily the plating or covering of the precious metals on the ware is so thin that it is soon removed by abrasion from those portions most exposed to wear-that is, at the resting or contact points of the articlewhile it remains intact at other points. This exposes to view the baser metal or alloy of which the body of the article is composed. To obviate this it has been proposed to apply to the article an additional or extra film of the precious metal at and near said resting and contact points. This extra film, whether applied before or after the plating of the article, forms a projection or gives an increased thickness at the points where it is applied, and so changes the symmetry or'normal shape of the article.

My invention essentially difiers from such previous methods of protecting the portions of the plated article most exposed to wear, and consists in incorporating with the body of the article at and near each or any of such points or portions a solid plug or piece of the precious metal itself by riveting, soldering, or otherwise mechanically securing the same within a hole or recess in the body of the article, made purposely to receive it, whereby not only is increased protection given to the article against exposure of the bascrmetal at the points of rest or contact, but especially when said plug is planished down on the outside of the article it presents a flush exterior with the adjacent or inclosing portion of the article, thus forming no projection therefrom, and retaining the normal shape or symmetry of the article, and by afterward plating or replating the whole article said plug or fillingpiece of precious metal is in no way visible.

The result, as described, may be attained by first removing a part of the baser metal from the point or points of rest or contact of the article and afterward replacing the same with precious metal.

Reference is had to the accompanying draw ings, forming part of this specification, which represent, by way of illustration, my invention as applied to an ordinary spoon, and in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both the figures.

Figure 1 represents a back View of the spoon, and Fig. 2 a longitudinal section of the same on the line 00 x in Fig. 1.

A is the body of the spoon, made of any suitable metal or material to be plated by the usual or any suitable method. The ordinary contact or resting points of the spoon, where the liability of the plated covering to be worn off is usually the greatest, are at b b. At and near these points or places I remove a part of the baser metal, or cut or otherwise make in the spoon either a hole, 0, as shown at the bowl end of the spoon, or a recess, 0", as shown in the under side of the handle end of the spoon, but prefer a hole running entirely through the part to be protected, which hole may be countersunk from opposite sides. WVithin such hole or recess I then insert and secure, by com pression or otherwise, a solid plug or fillingpiece, B B, of the same precious metal as that used for plating the spoon, or it may be more or less alloyed. Such filling, which forms a solid base of precious metal altogether distinct from a mere film, is of such thickness and so embedded or arranged as not to pro trude on its exposed side or sides beyond the portions of the spoons surface or surfaces which inclose or receive it, and to secure this it is advisable to planish down said base ofprecious metal that virtually forms a part of the body of the spoon, so that it will be flush with the adjacent parts of the spoon, free from all projection therefrom, and preserving the symmetry of the spoon in all its integrity. The spoon may then be plated or replated, which will cover up the joint formed by the filling; and in case of such plating wearing off at the the same metal as the plating, will still pre- IOO vent any exposure of the baser metal or materialof which the spoon generally is composed. If desired, the tip end of the bowl of the spoon may be similarly protected, and any number of such base-pieces of precious metal may be used according to the shape or description of the plated ware to be thus protected at its points or places of rest, contact, or wear.

The hole or recess in the article for reception of the precious metal plug or filling may be made of locking constructionas, for instance, when the hole is a through one-by flaring it at opposite ends, as shown, for the apertures c, or when the receiving'space is a mere recess, as at 0, by making it of a dovetail form, whereby the plug or filling, when compressed or mechanically secured to its place, is locked therein.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In plated spoons, forks, and other plated ware or article, the article fitted at its point or points of rest or contact with a solid plug or filling of the same metal or alloy thereof as that with which the article is plated, and with its exterior or exposed surface flush or in line with the exposed surface or surfaces of the article immediately contiguous to said plug, substantially as described.

2. In plated spoons, forks, and other plated ware or articles, the article fitted at its point or points of rest or contact with asolid locked plug or filling of the same metal or alloy thereof as that with which the article is plated, and with its exterior or exposed surface or surfaces of the article immediately adjacent or contiguous to said plug, essentially as shown and described.

WILLIAM AUGUSTUS WARNER. 

